Restaurant Leadership Podcast: The Show for Multi-Unit Operators Ready to Scale

Christin Marvin
  • 5.0 (23)
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Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast...the show for independent restaurant owners who are done surviving and ready to scale.Your host, Christin Marvin, founder of Columbine Hospitality and creator of the Independent Restaurant Framework (IRF), has spent over two decades in the industry...from line cook at 15 to managing partner by 30. She knows what it takes to build a restaurant group that runs without you in it.Each week, Christin brings you real conversations and straight talk on the three things that actually move the needle in a multi-unit restaurant group: People, Process, and Profit.This podcast is for you if you're ready to stop putting out fires and start building a business that scales with intention.This podcast will help you answer:How do I build a leadership team I can actually trust?How do I create systems that run without me?How do I scale to multiple locations without burning out?How do I increase profitability as I grow?How do I go from operator to CEO?Grab your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at irfbook.com and follow Columbine Hospitality on LinkedIn.Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:L. Connor Voice - LConnorvoice@gmail.comLconnorvoice.comArtwork by Solstice Photography, Tucson, AZ. https://solsticephotography70.pixieset.com/

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    116: How to Grow a Successful Consulting Business

    Here's a punchy episode summary: Episode Summary: The Blueprint for Restaurant Operators Ready to Build Something New Ever hit that five-year itch wondering what's next after restaurants? You're not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Jim Taylor, founder of Benchmark 60 and creator of the Blueprint program—a framework designed specifically for restaurant professionals who want to transition out of operations and into consulting, coaching, or advisory work. We get real about: Why your experience alone won't generate business (and what actually does) The mindset shift from "hire me based on my resume" to "here's the result I can get you" How Blueprint members collectively signed over $1 million in consulting engagements last year—most starting from zero Key takeaways: → Imposter syndrome is a signal you're leveling up. Lean into it instead of running from it. → There's no magic bullet. Business is an experiment—content, conversations, workshops, podcasts—you won't know what lands until you try. → Independent consultant is now the 7th fastest-growing entrepreneur title in the US. The market is there. The question is: are you positioned to capture it? → Fractional roles are exploding. Rising restaurant costs mean owners need expertise without full-time payroll. We also announce that I'm taking over the Blueprint program—bringing it under Columbine Hospitality with Jim's continued partnership. If you're considering the leap: Grab a free copy of Jim's book at BoldConsultingBook.com or reach out at ColumbineHospitality.com/contact to explore the program.   P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw   Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    38 min

  2. May 25 ·  Video

    115: What's Next - Columbine Hospitality is Taking Over the Blueprint

    Episode Summary Christin Marvin announces that Columbine Hospitality is officially taking over The Blueprint — a coaching program originally built by Jim Taylor of Benchmark 60. This program helps hospitality professionals turn their operator experience into a consulting or coaching business. Christin shares her personal journey from terrified first-time entrepreneur to successful business owner, crediting The Blueprint for giving her the roadmap, community, and mindset shifts she needed. This episode is a call to action for former operators wondering "what's next" and current operators who know someone ready for a new chapter. Key Takeaways The Blueprint is now part of Columbine Hospitality — a coaching program for hospitality professionals ready to build consulting or coaching businesses rooted in their real-world experience. Your operator experience is an asset — 20+ years of building teams, solving problems, and running restaurants isn't just restaurant knowledge. It's business, leadership, and consulting expertise. Entrepreneurship requires a mindset shift — Christin had to reframe sales (not pushy, but serving), learn to value herself, and stop underselling her decades of experience. Community accelerates success — Surrounding yourself with people who understand your journey, share resources, and challenge you is what separates successful entrepreneurs. Jim Taylor isn't going anywhere — He'll continue supporting the program through marketing and calls as Columbine grows and evolves The Blueprint. Two paths at Columbine now — Working with multi-unit operators ready to scale AND former operators ready to build something new. Who The Blueprint Is For Former operators wondering what's next after decades in the industry GMs quietly burning out after 15+ years Chefs with more knowledge than culinary schools but no idea how to monetize it Operators who sold their restaurant and don't know what identity looks like without it Anyone who's been "accidentally consulting" — helping friends with their businesses without realizing it What The Blueprint Provides A structured roadmap to turn operator experience into a coaching/consulting business Clarity on your unique offering Framework for packaging, pricing, and positioning services Sales mindset coaching (overcoming the "used car salesman" fear) Community of hospitality professionals at various stages Support on time management, content creation, lead generation, and scaling Christin's Personal Journey Highlights Launched her first company with 20 years of experience but no business roadmap Was terrified of sales and undervalued her expertise in year one The Blueprint gave her structure, permission to take her experience seriously, and a path to scale Realized she was the bottleneck → led to building Columbine Hospitality with a team Key moment: Getting her first "yes" — then repeat clients re-enrolling proved the model worked Why This Matters to the Industry "The restaurant industry creates some of the most capable leaders in the world, and then has no infrastructure to honor that experience when people are ready to move on." Every operator who builds a successful coaching or consulting career becomes a resource for the next generation of restaurant leaders. This strengthens the industry from the outside in. Call to Action Interested in The Blueprint? Reach out at columbinehospitality.com/contact for a real conversation (not a sales call) Want Jim Taylor's book Bold Consulting? Email the team or grab it on Amazon Know someone who needs to hear this? Share this episode with the operator in your life who's wondering what's next Timestamps 0:00 — Episode intro: Big news coming 1:30 — Welcome & show intro 3:00 — Christin's entrepreneurial origin story 5:30 — Finding The Blueprint and Jim Taylor 6:30 — Official announcement: Columbine takes over The Blueprint 7:30 — What Christin was trying to build when she joined 9:30 — The fear of sales and mindset shifts required 12:00 — What The Blueprint program gave her 15:00 — The moment she knew it was working 17:00 — How The Blueprint shaped Columbine Hospitality 19:00 — Jim Taylor's continued involvement 20:30 — Who The Blueprint is for 24:00 — What The Blueprint actually does 26:00 — Why this matters to the restaurant industry 28:30 — Final call to action & closing

    28 min

  3. May 11

    Episode 114: Stop Repeating the Same Meeting

    Your manager meeting keeps circling the same issues because nobody leaves with a real commitment that can be measured, owned, and finished. We tackle one of the most expensive leadership gaps in restaurants: goal setting that actually gets executed, not just discussed. We walk through the SMART goals framework, where it came from, and why it matters so much in high-pressure restaurant operations where urgent tasks crowd out important work. You will hear exactly how vague statements like "improve communication," "reduce turnover," or "work on training" quietly kill momentum, waste meeting time, and chip away at manager credibility.  Then we rebuild those intentions into clear SMART goals with a defined owner, a number, and a deadline that creates accountability. You will also get a practical meeting framework you can use immediately: reserve the last 10 to 15 minutes to set one commitment per person, write it down, and open the next meeting by reviewing what you said you would do. We explain how this simple habit turns firefighting into root-cause problem solving, strengthens strategic thinking, and helps multi-unit restaurant operators build systems across labor, training, and the guest experience. If you found this useful, subscribe, share it with a restaurant leader on your team, and leave a review with the SMART goal you are committing to before your next meeting. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    26 min

  4. Apr 27

    113: How Leadership Alignment Makes Scaling Possible

    If you co-own a restaurant group, try one question today: "What does success look like in three years?" If you're not 100% sure your partner would answer the same way, you're not alone and you're not stuck, but you are exposed. I share two real scenarios I see constantly in the independent restaurant world: a fast-growing family business held back by an unspoken succession plan and murky owner roles, and a 15-year partnership that realizes they've been building the same company toward two different destinations. When owners aren't aligned, everyone feels it. Leaders get mixed signals, teams fill in the gaps with their own version of "success," and the guest experience turns inconsistent across shifts and locations.  We dig into why leadership alignment is the single most important work a multi-unit operator can do, and how misalignment quietly drains profitability, time, and traction even when sales look strong from the outside. Everything we talked about in today's episode — the systems, the leadership structure, the framework that makes quarterly planning actually work — it all lives inside the Independent Restaurant Framework. Want the full blueprint? Pick up your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at IRFbook.com. This is the book I wish every multi-unit operator had in their hands before they started scaling. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    23 min

  5. Apr 13

    112: Turn Reactive Operators into Intentional CEOs

    Most multi-unit restaurant operators don't have a growth problem, they have a focus problem. When your leadership team doesn't know what matters most for the next 90 days, everything turns into a fire, your ops meetings drift into venting, and you become the decision bottleneck for every location. We walk through the most underused tool in a multi-unit operator's arsenal: the quarterly planning meeting, and why it's often the difference between a restaurant group that scales and one that stalls. We share what a great quarterly planning meeting looks like in the real world, including how to start with an intentional check-in that builds trust, how to review the prior quarter using wins, losses, P&L, guest feedback, and a simple scorecard, and how to spot trends your team keeps repeating without connecting the dots. From there, we get into the part most teams skip: true problem identification that goes beyond symptoms, so you stop putting band-aids on issues and start fixing root causes across people, process, and profit. Everything we talked about in today's episode — the systems, the leadership structure, the framework that makes quarterly planning actually work — it all lives inside the Independent Restaurant Framework. Want the full blueprint? Pick up your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at IRFbook.com. This is the book I wish every multi-unit operator had in their hands before they started scaling. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    26 min

  6. Mar 30

    111: Danny Meyer

    I walked into a talk with Danny Meyer expecting a few good notes on hospitality, and walked out with four leadership reminders I'm still thinking about as a restaurant coach. Hearing him reflect on the 20-year legacy of Setting the Table, alongside Bobby Stuckey in Denver, made the ideas feel even more relevant for independent restaurant owners trying to scale without losing their standards or their sanity. We dig into why scaling restaurants only works long term when the motive is bigger than ego. Danny shared how long it took him to expand from Union Square Cafe to Gramercy Tavern, and how fear can quietly stall growth until you connect expansion to something meaningful, like creating opportunity for your team. From there, we talk about excellence versus perfection, and why perfection is a trap in restaurant operations. I also unpack a simple debrief tool he uses that helps leaders balance pride with improvement without beating the team down. If you lead a restaurant team, run multiple locations, or care about hospitality leadership, you'll take away practical standards you can apply immediately. Subscribe, share this with a fellow operator, and leave a review with the one behavior you're no longer willing to tolerate. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    18 min

  7. Mar 16

    110: The $75,000 Mistake You're Making

    Ever wonder why "Everything's fine" keeps blowing up into last-minute fires? We dig into the uncomfortable truth: avoiding one-on-ones quietly drains profit, trust, and talent—and we put a real number on it with a $75,000 turnover case. As restaurant operators scale, hallway chats and line-side banter feel productive, but they miss the root causes. We walk through a simple, repeatable one-on-one system that reveals what's actually happening across locations, builds psychological safety, and keeps your best people from walking when the kitchen gets hot. You'll also hear a client case study: six months after adopting this approach, manager turnover dropped to zero while clarity, accountability, and morale rose. We tie insights back to the three pillars—people, process, and profit—so you can see how small weekly conversations lead to cleaner training, better scheduling, smarter pricing decisions, and stronger guest experiences across units. If you're ready to stop firefighting and start leading like a CEO, this is your playbook for retention, performance, and scale. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    31 min

  8. Mar 2

    109: Breaking The Bottleneck

    Ever felt that uneasy pull that says there's more growth on the table, but you don't have the energy or structure to reach it? We've been there. This week we share a pivotal shift: Solutions by Christin is now Columbine Hospitality, and we're pairing a clear visionary role with a proven integrator to scale the impact of our coaching for independent multi-unit restaurant operators. We break down what actually changes when a founder stops being the bottleneck. That starts with the visionary–integrator model: Christin owns relationships, content, and long-term direction while Andrew, our new COO and longtime collaborator, drives systems, accountability, and execution. Together we rebuilt the mission and core values, mapped a 1, 5, and 10-year vision, and set concrete financial targets that align people, process, and profit. You'll hear how a weekly leadership cadence and quarterly resets create the consistency multi-unit brands need to reduce chaos, elevate managers, and deliver a guest experience that sticks. If you feel stuck between firefighting and strategy, this conversation gives you a path: name your unique ability, hire to your gaps, and install a cadence that keeps everyone moving in the same direction. Subscribe, share this with a fellow operator, and leave a review to help more restaurant leaders scale with confidence. P.S. Ready to take your restaurant to the next level?  Get the Independent Restaurant Framework that's helped countless owners build thriving multi-location brands. Grab your copy at https://www.IRFbook.com Here is my calendar link so you can book time with me:  https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/bookings/christin-marvin-personal-calendar-r1jjarmnw Podcast Production: https://www.lconnorvoice.com/

    21 min
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5
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23 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Restaurant Leadership Podcast...the show for independent restaurant owners who are done surviving and ready to scale.Your host, Christin Marvin, founder of Columbine Hospitality and creator of the Independent Restaurant Framework (IRF), has spent over two decades in the industry...from line cook at 15 to managing partner by 30. She knows what it takes to build a restaurant group that runs without you in it.Each week, Christin brings you real conversations and straight talk on the three things that actually move the needle in a multi-unit restaurant group: People, Process, and Profit.This podcast is for you if you're ready to stop putting out fires and start building a business that scales with intention.This podcast will help you answer:How do I build a leadership team I can actually trust?How do I create systems that run without me?How do I scale to multiple locations without burning out?How do I increase profitability as I grow?How do I go from operator to CEO?Grab your copy of Multi-Unit Mastery at irfbook.com and follow Columbine Hospitality on LinkedIn.Voice Over, Mixing and Mastering Credits:L. Connor Voice - LConnorvoice@gmail.comLconnorvoice.comArtwork by Solstice Photography, Tucson, AZ. https://solsticephotography70.pixieset.com/

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